These 11 online courses will help you learn useful creative skills

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Putnam Flowers Instagram

I was fortunate to spend many of my childhood and adolescent afterschool years in an art studio and in front of a piano. While the classes have stopped, my appreciation for artistic and creative pursuits has only grown as I've realized just how much art and music affects my wellbeing, perspective of the world, and approach to everyday life.

Sadly, art and other creative work is undervalued, but its benefits for your brain and wellbeing can't be emphasized enough. When you think about all the leisure activities and cultural institutions you enjoy — film, TV, concerts, museums, and restaurants — they're all traced to artists and creators. If you ever doubt the power of creatives, just try to imagine your life without these things.

Though the discussion around e-learning tends to revolve around gaining academic and professional skills, which are certainly important to have, it's equally valuable, challenging, and rewarding to pick up a new skill like hand lettering, photography, or painting. These make for great projects, involve a "physical" connection to the act, and could even potentially evolve into a side business.

It's time to stop making excuses for yourself and finally start the creative projects you've always wanted to pursue. Get inspired to start your next creative passion project or hobby with the classes below.

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Modern Watercolor Techniques: Beginner's Level

Ana Victoriana Instagram

Ana Victoria Calderón's 60,000 Instagram followers love her beautiful watercolor creations, and her editorial clients include Vanity Fair, Glamour, and InStyle. In this beginner's class, Calderón teaches basic techniques for this tricky medium and breaks each lesson down into thorough steps. The class culminates in a galaxy project that brings all your newly learned skills together.

Photography Masterclass: Your Complete Guide to Photography

Udemy

Whether you own a smartphone or just bought a new DSLR, this class teaches you the fundamentals of photography including composition and lighting, how to use your device to its full capabilities, and how to edit your photos like a pro. The course includes over 13 hours of video, not to mention the hours you'll spend practicing, so while it's a commitment, it may be just what you'll need to kickstart your photography hobby or business.

One-Minute Songwriting Tips

Lynda

This series introduces you to the secrets of great songwriting in short, easily digestible videos, from how to use repetition to writing lyrics that are easy to sing. Get inspired to write your own catchy, memorable, or meaningful songs and create great music.

From Plant to Cup: Brew an Amazing Cup of Coffee

Blue Bottle Instagram

If you're a coffee enthusiast, this short one-hour class will deepen your understanding of the beverage and inspire you to host your own coffee tasting at home. Seeing the process of sourcing, brewing, and tasting might just make you fall in love with coffee even more. It's taught by the Director of Training at Blue Bottle Coffee, the popular Oakland-based company that recently started a coffee subscription service, so you can always get your fix.

Sketchbook Magic: Start and Feed a Daily Art Practice

Strathmore Art Instagram

Consistency is key when it comes to improving your craft. Ria Sharon shows you how to find inspiration and creativity in everyday life through this course, which emphasizes the process over the result. All you need is a sketchbook and an openness to the environment around you. One satisfied student said it's a "very motivating class if you always have a thousand excuses for not doing art."

Modern Flowers: Arranging a Stunning Centerpiece

Putnam Flowers Instagram

Those stunning floral arrangements you see in hotels, weddings, and shops aren't just haphazardly put together. They're the result of thoughtful, intentional design. Michael and Darroch Putnam are the owners of Putnam & Putnam, a New York-based floral design company, whose work has been featured in Harper's Bazaar and Jason Wu fashion shows. They'll teach you how to take one simple flower and transform it into a masterpiece.

Jazz Piano Lessons: 1 Fundamentals

Lynda

If you like the jazzy tunes of recent hit "La La Land" and the live music played at bars and clubs, you'll love this course taught by Grammy Award-winning keyboardist George Whitty. While jazz may often seem to be completely improvisational, there are many basic patterns that form its foundation. Learn the bop scales that you'll soon be able to recognize in any jazz piano bar.

The Art Of Baking: A Beginner's Guide

Baking is an art and a science. While you could probably get away with winging it a bit with measurements and ingredients when you cook your entree, the same cannot be said when you bake a cake.

Food blogger and TV show host Sarah Graham goes through her 10 golden rules for baking before teaching you the cookie and biscuit, cake, bread, pastry, and icing basics. You'll learn how to make delicious dishes like rosemary and feta focaccia, peanut buttery oat biscuits, and loaf cake.

Creative Nonfiction: Write Truth with Style

Skillshare YouTube

Just because a story is non-fiction doesn't make it boring. Susan Orlean is a New Yorker staff writer and best-selling author who shares how she turns ordinary subjects into extraordinary and compelling stories. When you approach it from this new angle, you'll see how writing and storytelling is a craft in and of itself.

Music Production: Techniques and Concepts

Lynda

Grammy Award-winning writer, producer, and mixer Scott Jacoby takes you from recording a demo to a fully mastered song in this music production course. If you've ever wondered how your favorite tracks are produced, the class will give you insight into the complex but fun process. You'll not only understand the how but also the why behind audio engineering.

Hand Lettering Essentials for Beginners

Mary Kate McDevitt

The popularity of hand lettering shows that the pencil is certainly not dead. McDevitt, whose clients have included Target, Macy's, and Chronicle Books, shows you how to concept, design, and letter phrases that can be used on any platform. You too can create the eye catching designs you see in murals, magazines, and billboards.

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